It was an afternoon of season-highs for Butler as the Bulldogs posted a 95-68 win over Northern Illinois Saturday at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

Behind 17 three-pointers and 27 assists on 34 made field goals, the Bulldogs were able to improve to 7-2 on the season. Butler shot 61 percent in the contest. All of those numbers (except the 34 made field goals) are season-highs.

"Our students were great today, especially with finals coming up. We needed that energy," said Butler coach LaVall Jordan. "That was a true team win when you see 27 assists on 34 makes. As we continue to grow, I thought our guys really applied what we've been telling them the last few weeks. NIU is a good team. They shot 50 percent today, but we were able to disrupt them early and set the tone."

The Bulldogs made eight of their first nine attempts from the field, including a 7-of-8 mark from behind the arc, to take a 23-9 advantage less than seven minutes into the game. The lead was more than 20 for most of the game, getting to 34 midway through the second half.

Sean McDermott led the Bulldogs with a career-high 23 points. He tied his career-best with seven three-pointers. He was one of five players in double figures. Paul Jorgensen added 16 points, which included four three-pointers. Joey Brunk went a perfect 6-of-6 from the field to post 15 points.

Aaron Thompson had a career-high nine assists against only one turnover. Butler had only seven turnovers in the contest, matching a season-low. Nate Fowler also had a career-high five assists. Kamar Baldwin scored 13 points to go along with his game-high seven rebounds. Henry Baddley was the fifth Bulldog in double figures with 11.

NIU (5-4) shot 50 percent from the field, committed only 10 turnovers and attempted 16 more free throws than the Butler, but still lost by 27 in a testament to the Bulldogs' offensive efficiency Saturday afternoon. Eugene German led the Huskies with 20 points.

The Bulldogs take the week off for final exams before meeting Indiana Saturday (Dec. 15) in the Crossroads Classic at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in downtown Indianapolis.